The Primogen Council

The Primogen Council is the city's assembly of Elders. Each clan usually has at least one representative on the council, alongside any other clan elders who wish to attend. Primogen councils are still held among these clan leaders, who occupy positions of considerable power. As a result, the primogen can be a Prince's strongest allies or their worst enemies.

In principle, the Primogen Council should be a legislative body, representing the views of different clans on how the city is governed. In practice, that is true in very few cities. Some councils lack representatives from one or more clans, either because a Prince's edict bars those elders from office, or because those clans are made up entirely of younger vampires and elders refuse to recognize their right to representation.
In many cities, established Primogen councils are less coherent bodies and more "old vampire clubs," nests of nepotism, favor trading, threats, and betrayal. In some domains, especially those with low Kindred populations, the Prince is often also that clan's Primogen. In larger cities (where vampire population density is higher), this is less common. Some argue the Prince should focus on balanced governance and that membership in the council divides loyalties. Others point out that adding a second clan member to the council would tilt the scales in that clan's favor. Usually, it does not. Some of the fiercest disputes between Prince and Primogen occur between members of the same clan who disagree on a specific matter.
The Primogen Council can wield immense power even when none is granted officially. Composed of Elders obsessively attached to their unlives, Primogen councils can crush would-be usurpers, weak Princes, or disrespectful neonates in the name of stability. Their support can confirm a vampire as Prince, or condemn one to be worm fodder. If they choose, they can force a Prince from office through attrition or censure motions, or secure a long reign through powerful backing. Some councils effectively become the city's government by constantly challenging, negotiating, threatening, or flattering their Prince to keep each Primogen in line.
On the other hand, in cities ruled by especially powerful, despotic, or unstable Princes, the council meets only when the Prince allows it and may amount to little more than an assembly of puppets.